


The Bane of Texas

by AceOnIce, SomeSleepySloth



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Has Anxiety, Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Real World, American Politics, Asmodeus Being an Asshole (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Asmodeus is Ted Cruz, Bodyguard Alec Lightwood, College Student Magnus Bane, Getting Together, Insecure Alec Lightwood, M/M, Panic Attacks, Power Outage, S'mores, Snowed In, Texas, not so thinly veiled hatred of Ted Cruz, older Alec and younger Magnus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:15:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29724039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceOnIce/pseuds/AceOnIce, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeSleepySloth/pseuds/SomeSleepySloth
Summary: Senator Asmodeus Bane skips town when a freak winter storm decimates Texas, leaving his twenty one old son in the care of their bodyguard, Alexander Lightwood. Alec and Magnus do their best to keep warm while Alec tries to remain professional with the man he's head-over-heels in love with.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 44
Kudos: 196
Collections: Favorite Malec Stories





	The Bane of Texas

**Author's Note:**

> So. I (AceOnIce) live in Texas and the storm was ROUGH. And then the stuff with Ted Cruz happened and I had to write about it all to stay sane. SomeSleepySloth likes writing political things so I asked her to join me and we made this ! I also got to finally achieve my long-time (like 9 years) goal of co-writing something and it was a blast. 
> 
> And, of course, a hundred thanks to [Wolfpup_4973](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfpup_4973) for betaing <3
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy!

Alec watches the scene unfold in front of him with a thinly veiled contempt. The entirety of Texas is currently under a winter storm warning, with weather conditions expected to be worse than it’s been in centuries and millions of people already out of power, and Senator Bane is jetting off to Cancun. _For a vacation._ In the middle of a fucking state emergency. The phone in the Senator’s office has been ringing for the past fifteen minutes, but he’s blithely ignored it, focusing on booking his flight tickets to flee the country instead.

Not for the first time since Alec accepted the position as one of Senator Bane’s bodyguards, he thinks about how wonderful it would be to quit. Rich people, he’s decided, are the absolute worst. And Senator Asmodeus Bane? He’s the worst of the worst. The man who had supported Former President Valentine Morgenstern through every despicable act, working actively to thwart any attempt from the Democrats to help improve the lives of the Americans. If the ‘Eat The Rich’ campaign needed a face, Alec is certain the sight of Senator Bane is enough to incite rage amongst the masses. 

It doesn’t sit right with Alec that he is out here, putting his life on the line for a man whom he dearly hopes will lose in his next election. But, as his father reminded him, “a job is a job.” And while being the heir of the Lightwood Family Security firm did bring about certain privileges, it did not extend to turning down what his parents thought was an excellent career opportunity. Thus, all Alec can do is fantasize about Senator Bane being booted out of the Senate.

The only bright spot of Alec’s otherwise depressing job is Senator Bane’s son, Magnus.

Their first meeting had been an unmitigated disaster. Alec had met the Banes on his first day of work. He shook hands with Senator Bane and then the politician pushed his son forward to introduce him. The younger man, who had up till then been quietly staring at Alec, had been so startled that he tripped over the curb and went tumbling straight into Alec, who raised his arms instinctively to catch him.

Magnus had been slow to remove himself from Alec’s arms, parting with a joke about how he had fallen for Alec at first glance. That coupled with the way his brown eyes, lit with mischief, had raked over Alec’s frame appreciatively unsettled the bodyguard slightly. Alec was used to people looking at him, he wasn’t blind, but having someone five years younger than him look at him _that_ way was… _weird_. 

_Even if he was beautiful_ , Alec’s mind supplied unhelpfully.

Shuffling back slightly to put some distance between himself and Magnus, Alec cleared his throat awkwardly and inwardly prayed for patience. Between his urge to throw Senator Bane into Lake Travis and his newfound need to avoid Magnus, this was going to be a trying job.

After their first meeting, Alec had dismissed Magnus as an immature and shallow individual, but he found himself changing his opinion over the years. He learnt that Magnus displayed maturity beyond his years, ruthlessly exploiting his newfound fame as Senator’s Bane’s son to speak out against his father’s terrible decisions on social media, opposing his father at every possible turn. He was fiercely loyal to the people he cared about, and actively participated in numerous charity causes. 

He was not immature or shallow, as proved by the conversations they had shared over the years. 

Magnus refusing to fall in line with his father proved contentious, with the older man threatening to withhold his son’s university tuition fees. But Magnus had steadfastly persevered.

As he is proceeding to do now.

The Banes had been without power for barely two hours when Senator Bane announced his impromptu vacation, drawing instant opposition from Magnus. He dug his heels in and refused to heed his father’s orders to pack his bags. Alec had hovered awkwardly downstairs, the shouts between the both of them echoing through the large mansion.

When Senator Bane had failed to convince Magnus, he had stomped downstairs to the dining table in a huff, doing a particularly good impression of a pouty six year, despite his sixty years of age. He threw himself into the chair and turned on his laptop while his son followed hot on his heels.

“You can’t leave the people here to fend for themselves,” Magnus cries out, his dark glare focused on his father. The room is lit by large candles on the table, casting a warm yellow glow that emphasizes the fire blazing in Magnus’ eyes, lined with dark kohl. “They’re your constituents!”

“Magnus,” Asmodeus replies in a detached tone, from where he’s scrolling through the airline booking page, planning out the details of his vacation. “Think logically, boy. I don’t work for an electricity supplier _or_ ERCOT. I can’t do anything to help. So why should I have to stay and suffer with the Texans?”

Alec thinks that might be the worst logic he’s ever heard, and he has heard Senator Bane suggest that the poor should _just_ _take on more jobs_ if they need financial assistance, but he wisely keeps his mouth shut. If he speaks up now, he’ll find himself out of a job. And although he’s not all that concerned about Senator Bane’s safety, he’d be remiss if something happened to Magnus. He deserves better. They both do, but Alec will be damned if he leaves Magnus behind. 

While Alec has to bite his tongue to avoid offending Senator Bane, Magnus has no such compunctions. His eyes narrow as he stares at his father, the coldness on his face rivaling the freezing weather outside. “You, you are a Texan, Father! You are an elected official. A Senator. You can do something. You _have_ to do something. You can’t just leave the country. Your phone has been ringing for the past fifteen minutes. Your staff are on the line, there _has_ to be something that you can do.”

Senator Bane reaches into his jacket pocket to retrieve his wallet, extracting his credit card as he types in the details on the payment page. “Honestly son, you’re sounding more and more like the radical leftists. Nothing good can come out of me staying. Anyway, I have chartered our flight. You are free to come to Cancun with me, or you can stay home and freeze. Who knows, there might be some beautiful women and men on the beach to distract yourself with?” 

Magnus’ eyes blaze with fury as he rises to his feet, nearly upending the chair. “The state emergency aside,” he snarls as he rakes his hand harshly through his hair, messing up his quiff, “have you forgotten there is a fucking _pandemic_ going on? We can’t _just_ fly to another country like that! Are you out of your mind, Father?!”

Senator Bane rolls his eyes, closing his computer as he pushes back from the table. “I honestly don’t understand why you’re hell-bent on opposing everything I say, or do. You’re so difficult—"

“Difficult?!” Magnus sputters with indignation. 

Senator Bane ignores his outburst. “You know what? You can choose to come, or stay and freeze to death. I don’t care.”

“I’ll stay,” Magnus retorts, his jaw twitching in annoyance. His tight teal shirt stretches across his chest as he crosses his arms, contouring the outline of his muscles, visible despite the dim lighting. Alec looks away quickly, _now_ is definitely not the time to be focusing on that. “I will check on our elderly neighbors, and I will tweet information about the storm to your citizens. I will do all of the things that _you should be doing_ , but are too cowardly to.” He is practically vibrating with anger as he finishes speaking, fingers digging tightly into his biceps.

When Senator Bane refuses to look up at his son, continuing to tap at his phone, probably ordering some lackey to drive up to take him to the airport, Magnus huffs and storms away. But not before hissing at his father as he walks past, “You are a fucking coward.”

Senator Bane sighs, massaging his temples as he stews in silence for a moment before he stands, albeit less passionately than his son. “Lightwood, I need you to stay here with him,” he orders.

“Yes, Sir,” Alec replies immediately. There is no way Alec is boarding the plane alongside the Senator even if the older man insisted on it. Alec is most definitely not leaving Magnus behind, especially in _these_ circumstances. If push came to shove, he’d ask the Senator if he could be permitted to stay behind, but thank goodness the Senator has commanded him to stay behind. It’d look highly suspicious if Alec himself had made the request, now it merely seems that he is following orders.

“God knows how the boy will survive on his own in this cold,” Senator Bane mumbles, as he swiftly marches off, laptop tucked under his arm, muttering unsavory things about temperamental children under his breath. 

Alec bites back the urge to counter that _no, Magnus isn’t some temperamental child._ It probably wouldn’t matter anyway, Senator Bane is unlikely to rate the opinion of his bodyguard that highly. It’s ironic, how the Senator would trust Alec with his life, but wouldn’t trust his views on whether the recent election results were fraudulent. (They weren’t.) And Senator Bane could write all the letters and make all the phone calls in the world, but it wouldn’t change that fact. He could very well _suck it_.

As the senator disappears up the stairs, away from view, Alec gazes around the dining room, the flames of the candle billowing gently, illuminating the French windows overlooking the table. Outside, snow has blanketed the garden in a sea of white. It’d normally be a beautiful scene, sitting in candlelight, watching the snow fall, painting the ground white, huddled under a blanket for warmth. Except they have no power. And temperatures outside have plummeted, well below freezing now.

Sighing, Alec tucks cold fingers deeper into his pockets and turns around to blow the candles out, plunging the lower floor into darkness. It’s going to be a long night. 

He hears the engine of a car, roaring up the driveway, before the main door opens and closes, and the roar of the engine disappears into the night. Senator Bane leaving. Cursing under his breath at the Senator just leaving his son and his responsibilities behind so callously, Alec goes about checking that the doors and windows on the lower floor are properly locked and secured, and the faucets are dripping steadily, before heading upstairs. 

As he scales the stairs towards Magnus’ wing, the magnitude of the situation hits him. He is for all intents and purposes, _alone_ with Magnus. The prospect unnerves him slightly because while the younger man had matured over the years, he still retained his flirtatious nature. 

And now, Alec is left alone with one _very gorgeous_ _and flirty_ Magnus Bane. For an indeterminable amount of time. With only candlelight. And flashlights. In freezing cold temperatures.

And Alec is stopping his train of thought right this instant before it goes further off-track. He has definitely spent too much time watching rom-coms with Izzy. 

Speaking of which, he is certainly not going to make it for their movie night. He had been scheduled to work till midnight, after which, he had been planning to hunker down in the family lounge with his siblings watching movies as long as their power allowed. But now, with the new orders, he has to remain with Magnus until Senator Bane returns.

He quickly drops a text to Izzy, updating her of his change of plans before continuing his way up to the second floor to check on Magnus. But not before reminding himself sternly of the need to keep things professional. He has to, no matter how much he wants to find out what Magnus’ lips taste like.

 _Cherry, probably,_ his decidedly unhelpful brain chimes in. Because he has seen the cherry-flavored lip gloss on Magnus’ dresser on several occasions. 

His phone vibrates with a reply from Izzy; he opens it to find a screenshot of a Facebook post.

 _“Stay safe out there, Y’all. Tip for those who don’t have heat,”_ it reads, _“get a tent and place it on your bed…”_

Scanning the text quickly, Alec turns back down and heads to the shed to retrieve the tent. Magnus had purchased a tent last year when he wanted to relieve his second childhood and stargaze in the backyard. He had quickly abandoned that when he realized how hot it was in the tent.

But heat is precisely what he needs now, with the heat out in the house presently. Alec keeps his trip to the shed brief, grabbing as much supplies as he can in one single trip because his face damn near got frostbite the minute he stepped out the doors. Juggling the tent, a portable bunsen burner gas stove, and three slightly musty looking blankets, he carefully makes his way up to Magnus’ room.

Knocking on the door with his elbow, he stands back and waits for the door to open. Only for Magnus to shout, “Go away, Father. Fuck off to Cancun for all I care.” Right, that’s awkward.

“Uhm, it’s Alec?” he says hesitantly, “I’ve got some supplies for you?”

There’s the thud of heavy footsteps before the door swings open, revealing Magnus. He has switched his teal shirt for a baggy Christmas sweater, a joke sweater with Rudolph’s nose on it. Alec barely resists the urge to tweak that bright red nose, because it is adorable. Magnus is barefaced, his makeup removed right before bedtime, but there is a spot of lip gloss stuck on his upper lip still that Alec wants to rub off. Preferably with his lips. And damn it, he really needs to keep his thoughts straight tonight.

“Don’t laugh,” Magnus whines, hands reaching out to relieve Alec’s burden, “this is the only sweater I had. I didn’t want to put on my down jackets yet.”

“You are going to have to, sooner or later,” Alec absently remarks as he goes about removing the numerous blankets piled on Magnus’ bed to clear the space for the tent. “I checked the weather just now, it’s set to hit six degrees within the next hour.”

“I still can’t believe my father’s fucked off to Cancun,” Magnus curses as he helps Alec pitch the tent. Both men work in silence for the next ten minutes, trying to get the flysheet properly set up.

“Wait, why are we pitching a tent on my bed?” Magnus questions midway through trying to insert the pole through the appropriate holes. It is cute how he thinks he is helping because all he is doing is tangling the flysheet. But Alec kindly does not remark on that.

“My sister sent me this link which says that you can pitch a tent and sleep under two blankets for extra warmth. I figured you could do with the extra heat. Since you tend to run cold and all,” Alec teases.

“Are you insinuating that I’m cold-blooded, Mr. Lightwood?” Magnus retorts.

Alec shudders at how his surname rolls off Magnus’ tongue smoothly, and forces himself to focus on pitching the tent. “Hey, who was the one who kept asking to borrow my coat last winter?”

“Not my fault that your coat is nice and warm,” comes the sulky reply.

As they work on the tent, Chairman Meow weaves in between their legs, halting their progress a few times as he pounces on the flysheet intermittently and has to be lured away with treats by Magnus. 

Thirty minutes later, the tent is finally erected and Alec stands back to admire his work. 

“Ha. I did it!” he exclaims. “It does look pretty good.”

 _"You_ did it?” Magnus repeats, arching a brow.

“Maybe I got a little help,” Alec graciously concedes, barking out a laugh when Magnus visibly preens at the praise.

Bending down to retrieve the blankets, Alec shakes them out before tossing them into the tent. “Go on, get in there.” 

Magnus obediently climbs into the tent with the Chairman curled around his shoulders. Alec shakes his head in silent laughter. 

Magnus, and the Chairman. What a pair. When the younger man had first brought the tabby cat home and announced his name, the vein in Senator Bane’s temple had throbbed dangerously. Alec had kept one hand perched over his cell phone, ready to call for an ambulance, just in case, while trying to stifle his laughter. Because Magnus choosing to give his cat a punny name, and after a famous Communist at that? Just _priceless_.

Alec tucks the blankets tightly around them, before retrieving the three blankets he had abandoned on the floor earlier. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Magnus’ question stops him in his tracks.

“Uh. The spare room?” Alec shuffles awkwardly, his arms piled high with the blankets.

“Are you crazy?” 

Alec raises an eyebrow. He has no idea what is going on. “Do you... need more blankets?”

“Alexander,” Magnus says, with obvious patience, peeking out from the opening of the tent, “why are you going to the spare room?”

“Uh. To sleep?”

“Oh my god. There is a perfectly good, and decently warm, tent here.” Magnus reminds him, “just, stay in the tent with me. It’s big enough for the both of us! There is no need to freeze in the spare room.”

It looks like it isn’t only Texas that is out of power today, because Alec is pretty certain his brain has just gone offline as well. He had been confident in his abilities to keep his desire for Magnus in check. But now, now Magnus wants to share a tent with him. Both of them in the same tent. Under the same blankets. And the worst part is, it makes sense.

What had Alec done to deserve this sweet cruelty?

“Are… are you sure?” he stutters out, trying to come up with a viable excuse.

“Yes, just get in here.” Magnus rolls his eyes, an arm darting out to pull Alec closer.

Alec gingerly approaches the bed, toeing off his shoes, and positioning himself near the edge of the bed, right along the wall of the tent, keeping a respectable distance between himself and Magnus. 

“What are you, a Victorian maiden?” Magnus snorts, “don’t worry, your virtue is safe with me.”

Alec dutifully slides closer, tugging the blankets up to his chest as Chairman Meow pads over in search of attention.

“You stole my cat,” the younger man complains, even as his hand reaches over to scratch the Chairman’s head, just the way he likes it, judging by the way he tilts his head into Magnus’ hand.

The both of them sit in companionable silence for the next fifteen minutes, the quiet punctuated by the occasional satisfied purr from the tabby as he basks in the attention of both Alec and Magnus. 

As they pat the Chairman, their hands brush against one another and that brief moment of contact is enough to send heat rushing to Alec’s cheeks. Thank goodness the power is out, so Magnus isn’t able to see his bright red cheeks. Alec is a twenty six year old man, he shouldn’t be blushing like a fucking teenager over such slight contact.

“I’m bored,” Magnus whines, one socked foot kicking underneath the mound of blankets, watching it rise and fall. 

“Do you want to watch a movie?” Alec suggests.

“Can’t. My laptop is dead. Forgot to charge it.”

“You can use my phone? I have Netflix on it.” Alec’s rational side tells him that he should conserve what remaining phone battery he has, in case of emergencies. But the side of him that is in love with Magnus, and wishes to give him the world, shuts that rational side up quickly.

Thankfully, Magnus appears to have retained some shred of cerebral ability, as he declines Alec’s offer. “Might need it for emergencies later,” he says, as he continues kicking at the blankets, his other foot joining in as well.

Silence falls over them again before Alec catches sight of the stack of books on the dresser, barely visible through the tent’s opening. “Hey, you have a book light, don’t you? We can read something.”

Magnus brightens instantly, sitting up and disappearing from the tent momentarily. Alec hears him crow triumphantly and then he’s crawling back into the tent with a book in one hand and the aforementioned book light in the other. He settles back into bed and thrusts both objects in Alec’s direction. 

“Read to me,” Magnus demands, casting soulful brown eyes in Alec’s direction, bottom lip sticking out in a pout.

“What are you, five?” Alec retorts, but accepts the offered items nevertheless. He glances at the book cover; the title is printed across it - _A Place To Fall._ The cover depicts two men, the taller one clad in a suit with shades, his jacket pulled back to reveal a gun, the shorter one in a lab coat, clutching a manila folder close to his chest. 

Opting not to remark on the choice of story, which appears to hit rather close to home given Magnus’ chemistry major, Alec clears his throat, cracks open the book, and starts reading. 

_“Chapter One,”_ he begins, _“Charles Xavier was popularly described in the following ways…”_

As Alec reads, he hears the wind howling outside, lashing against the windows, rattling the panels in the frame. The snow is falling fast and furious now, pelting the glass windows, a rhythmic thud. Thank goodness they are indoors. He hikes the blankets up further, making sure that Magnus is well-protected, before he continues reading.

It isn’t until Chapter Three that he detects Magnus inching closer and closer. What had been an arm’s length of space between them is now a scant few inches. Alec’s breath hitches when the scent of Magnus’ sandalwood shampoo hits his nose, warm, woodsy, and spicy, mingled with the lingering traces of his citrus lotion, before he pulls his attention back to the book in front of him. _You are a professional, Alec Lightwood,_ he reminds himself sternly. 

His resolve very nearly crumbles when a weight lands on his shoulder midway through Chapter Five. It doesn’t take much to figure out that Magnus has decided on Alec’s shoulder as his new pillow. Glancing out of the corner of his eyes, Alec sees the younger man appears to be fast asleep. Hittinghis head against the headboard with a _thunk_ , Alec prays once again for patience. Because in one night, Magnus had managed to worm his way past the barriers Alec had erected to maintain some semblance of professionalism between them. And now all he wants is to tuck the younger man into his side, keeping him warm, protecting him from all harm, under the layers of duvet around them.

Alec knows it is inappropriate for him to nurse a crush on the younger man. It is forbidden to date clients, and frowned upon to date a client’s _child_ , even if they’re an adult. He has to tell himself that each time Magnus slips in an innuendo or a pick-up line in their conversations. But as the saying goes, the heart wants what it wants, stupid as his heart may be. 

Mustering his best effort at mimicking a statue, Alec tries to remain as still as he can, determined to be the best human pillow, as Magnus slumbers on. Casting his eyes back towards the book, he immerses himself back in the world of Erik and Charles, determined to find out if they get the happy ending they thoroughly deserved. He pointedly ignores the voice inside his head that tells him he is living vicariously through Erik the bodyguard.

The last thing Alec remembers reading is Erik coming back for Charles before he loses the battle against Morpheus; the book tumbles from his grasp as his eyelids drift shut. His head sways to the side, resting atop Magnus’ as he joins the other man in the land of slumber.

When Alec’s internal body clock wakes him up at six in the morning the next day, he is slightly disoriented. Half of his body is pinned to the bed, crushed by an unidentified weight, while part of his view is obscured. The second mystery is solved easily when he reaches up with his free arm and his hand brushes against the soft fur of the Chairman Meow who had nestled in Alec’s hair at night. Giving the feline creature a gentle shove, the cat leaps onto the bed and pads towards his corner of the tent, but not before giving Alec a dissatisfied glare. 

One mystery solved, another one to go. 

Although it doesn’t take a genius to know that the unidentified weight is one Magnus Bane. Like cat, like owner indeed. Magnus is glued tightly to Alec’s side, curled around his right arm, with a leg thrown around Alec’s. The younger man is quite the undignified sleeper, half drooling on Alec’s shirt as he makes the cutest soft snoring noises. His hair appears to be rebelling against the gelled confines that Magnus insists on styling them into; they stick up in soft tufts, with cowlicks at the back of his head. 

The bedroom is cloaked in darkness, the sun yet to rise or concealed behind clouds. The only source of light is the book light, flashing, clearly on the last of its batteries. A reminder that the night is ending, and a new dawn is upon them, bringing with it a light chill that Alec knows is going to be freezing outside of the comfort of the tent.

Much as he wishes to snuggle with Magnus, he has to check on the house. And possibly scrounge up some food for breakfast. Alec wiggles his arm, trying to free it from Magnus’ clutches, but the younger man lets out a plaintive whine, that tugs at Alec’s heartstrings. _I love you_ , he thinks before forcing the thought, and any unprofessional feelings, as far down as they'll go.

Sighing, he falls back against the pillow with a defeated huff, resigned to his fate as a human pillow for the foreseeable future. At least there is no one in the house aside from the both of them. Because he is certain that his job would be in jeopardy if anyone were to catch sight of them in this somewhat compromising position, even if they were both still clothed in layers of winter wear. Small mercies indeed.

He retrieves his phone from his pocket, firing off a text to Izzy to make sure that she’s safe, as well as Jace and Max. 

Alec spends the rest of the morning — because the clock on his phone has informed him it is indeed morning, 7 am to be precise — reading through the news. More houses have lost power, many of them turned off by ERCOT. And more houses have lost water as well; several water plants have frozen, leaving citizens to boil their drinking water to make it safe. He doesn’t find anything about their county, right in the heart of the richest part of Austin, which he hopes means they still have clean, working water at least.

He only closes Twitter when Magnus makes a sort of grunting noise and shifts against him, finally releasing his arm. Alec rolls his wrist, pins and needles going down his arm from the sudden change, as Magnus blinks slowly.

“Good morning,” Magnus greets in a voice still deep with sleep. He stretches, only to have his hand knock against the edge of the tent.

“Morning,” Alec answers, his own voice deeper than usual as well. He clears his throat. “I’m going to check on the water and see if the power has come back on.”

Now that Magnus is awake again, and they’re left in the small, enclosed space, Alec is suddenly remembering why he’d been worried about crossing a professional line with his client’s son. Because if he has to sit there beside an adorably rumpled Magnus any longer, he’s not sure how he’ll stop himself from reaching out to fix the strand of hair that’s fallen over the younger man’s forehead.

Instead, Alec pushes up and makes his way out of the tent. 

As soon as he’s out of the door, he feels the cold hit him. The house has surely dropped at least ten degrees since they’d gone to sleep and it feels as if he’s stepped into the arctic tundra.

Alec suddenly regrets not having packed all of his sweaters. Then again, he wasn’t supposed to be here this long.

As it is, he’ll just have to make do with being cold.

Alec quickly discovers that Bane mansion, because really what else can it be called, still has running water, but the electricity has yet to come back on. He feeds Chairman Meow before filling two large coolers with water, just in case, and setting about cracking eggs into a bowl. The fridge is still cold, but they’ll have to move the food outside soon if they want it to last.

Once he’s whisked the eggs, he carries them, and a large bowl filled with cookware and utensils, back up to Magnus’ room where he’d left the bunsen burner gas stove, and where they’ve managed to keep more heat than the rest of the house.

He’s surprised to find the room empty, but figures Magnus is using the restroom — what else would he be doing during this weather? — so he turns on the stove, and gets to work. The heat attracts Chairman Meow and Alec has to keep pausing to move the cat far enough away that he won’t burn himself.

The sound of the door opening behind him surprises him. He hadn’t realized Magnus left the room, rather than just going to the en-suite bathroom. He turns back, ready to greet Magnus, and is baffled by the massive cardboard box in his hands.

Before he can ask about it, Magnus sniffs the air, face lighting up with a smile when the aroma hits his nose, and pipes up with his own question. “That smells good. What are you making?”

“Scrambled eggs,” he replies distractedly, pushing the Chairman away from the stove and turning it off, “what’s with the box?” 

Magnus sets it down by the now closed door. Closed to keep the cold out and the Chairman in. “I gathered up some old blankets and coats. The city has set up a warming center for people without heat, so I’m going to donate these.”

Alec pauses because it sounds nice in theory, but… “No, you’re not.”

“Excuse me?” Magnus’ eyebrows shoot up. Alec uses his spatula to distribute the eggs evenly into the plates.

“It’s my job to keep you safe. The roads are iced over, ergo, unsafe.”

Magnus doesn’t let go of his box, something deeply unhappy in his expression and Alec hates that he was the one to put it there. But he’d hate it more if something happened to Magnus. 

“While I appreciate your dedication to your job, Mr. Lightwood,” Magnus starts cooly, a familiar passion in his eyes that’s usually directed at his father. “These people need my help, since my father abandoned them. I’ll be damned if I don’t do everything I can for them.”

Without waiting for a response, Magnus turns, box still in his hands, and strides out of the room. Alec curses, setting down his eggs, and chases the senator’s son down the hallway.

Magnus is walking briskly but Alec’s height advantage means that he catches up to the younger man quickly, stepping in front of him to block his path, nearly getting run over in the process. “If you insist on going,” Alec bargains, wondering if he’s really doing this, “then we are going together. I will drive you.”

Over the top of the box, suspicious brown eyes narrow at him. “What do you mean, you’re driving me?”

Alec shoots him an amused look. “You can barely drive on sunny days, there is no way I am letting you get behind the wheel in this weather. Not to mention, I have actual experience with driving in snow conditions like these. So I’ll be driving you down in your father’s truck.”

“Fine, as long as we get to go,” he grumbles, the smoothing out of his furrowed brows and slight tug of his lips belying his gruff words. “I suppose we should eat first then, there’s no point in wasting the breakfast you’ve made us.”

Alec nods, helping Magnus to set the box down in the hallway before ushering him back into the semi-warmth of his room. They eat a quick breakfast and shrug on coats, leaving Chairman Meow resting in a giant pile of blankets, and taking care to grab a couple of water bottles in case of an emergency, before heading to the obscenely large garage, filled with all of Senator Bane’s cars. In the corner, Alec’s beaten up 2005 Toyota Camry is parked, looking distinctly out of place amongst the vintages and luxury cars. 

He grabs the Ford keys from the hook near the garage door and they load into the shiny red truck, the box resting on the back seat. 

What’s normally a ten minute drive takes nearly an hour, between the slow speed Alec maintains and the crashed car they come across. They wait with the driver, a young woman with blonde hair until the emergency services show up before continuing. 

There’s already a decent crowd at the warming center— everyone is wearing masks and Magnus looks adorably nerdy in his “Be NiCe” chemistry mask— and the volunteers look grateful for their donation, thanking them profusely as they go about distributing the supplies. Magnus even goes around the room, introducing himself and promising to try to help however he can. Alec follows silently, admiring the man in front of him. Alec realizes for the umpteenth time that Magnus is truly _nothing_ like his father.

Even as he follows Magnus around, doing his best to interact with the volunteers, he can’t keep from periodically checking his phone.

The good news is that his phone isn’t dead, it’s got about 60% battery still. The bad news is that there are no messages waiting for him. 

The more times he checks, and finds nothing, the more the worry at the back of his mind grows. He looks down at his phone in despair, some misguided part of him hoping that if he stares long and hard enough, a message would come through. Something. Anything. Just to let him know that his family is safe, before the worry eats him up. A message. A call. 

A call. It hits Alec like a load of bricks that _he_ can call _them_. God, his brain is somehow everywhere, and nowhere, this morning. As scrambled as the eggs he made. He quickly ducks out of the room, and heads to the corridor to call his sister. No response. His brother. No response. The anxiety is just welling up in him now; he rubs his sweaty palms on his trousers as he prays fervently for his parents to pick up their phones, to no avail. 

“Alexander?” Magnus’ voice, soft and gentle, jerks Alec out of his thoughts. He turns to the side to see the other man looking at him, concern written all over his face, the conference room door ajar behind him, “Is something wrong?”

Did he just forget that he is still on the clock for his bodyguard duties, in his urgency to reach his family? When he’s meant to be protecting Magnus? Quite possibly. He is just useless today apparently. “I, I haven’t heard from my family, since my sister texted last night,” he admits, fingers tightening around his phone, trying to stave off the panic. Because what if something had happened to them? 

Magnus closes the door and pads over silently to stand beside Alec. A mittened hand settles over his own trembling one, the wool prickling his skin. Magnus pats his hand, once, twice, a consoling gesture. “Maybe their phones are dead? Or they don’t have data?” he suggests. “Should we drive over to your place to check on them?”

It’s an appealing offer. Alec wants nothing more than to speed home and make sure they’re okay. That some kind of unmitigated disaster, worse than the weather outside, hasn’t befallen them. But the rational side of him prevails; much as he wants to, it just isn’t _sensible_ given the conditions. With the ten-minute long drive to the center taking them nearly an hour, the usual hour long journey back home for Alec might end up clocking in at over four hours, time they can ill-afford. Not to mention the fuel. It’d be safer for them to head back to Bane Mansion and hunker down instead. He has to trust Izzy to be smart enough to keep herself and the others safe.

“No, it’s okay, thanks for the offer though,” he declines, “we should go back soon anyway, before conditions worsen. We don’t want to get stranded.”

“But your family—” Magnus protests, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Alec shrugs and stuffs his phone back in his pocket. “Like you said, maybe they don’t have data…” he says, infusing his words with optimism. Optimism that he doesn’t really have, but has to muster up because he has a job to do. A job which does not entail an impromptu road trip to the other side of the city on frozen roads. “Come on Magnus, let’s go back home.”

“Are you sure?” Magnus presses, “I don’t mind the detour. Or we can get someone else to drive me home, there are tons of volunteers here. Some of them might be heading home soon. They can drop— ”

“No,” Alec interjects harshly. Because no, there is no bloody way he is going to trust someone else with Magnus’ safety. Partly because it’s his job, but mainly because his protective instincts mean that he wants to be the one keeping Magnus safe. 

At Magnus’ stunned expression, he softens his tone, “No, it’s okay, I will try calling them again later. For all we know, they might still be asleep. Let’s just, let’s go home, okay?”

Magnus looks like he wants to argue, but, thankfully, he chooses not to— for once. “Okay. Maybe the electricity is back on and we can charge our phones.”

Alec glances at his phone once more, seeing the battery has gone down to 55%. He hopes Magnus is right about the power being on, much as it seems unlikely, because he wants to keep his phone charged in case of emergency. _So he can contact his family._

He is disappointed, but not surprised, to find the power hasn’t come back on while they were out. The mansion had gotten even colder in the hour or so that they had gone out, the ground floor losing what little heat it had overnight. He briefly wonders how long they have until the Magnus’ side of the house is as cold as the outside. They have been sequestered in just one part of the house to conserve heat, but how much longer can they hold down the fort?

Part of his job now is holding that off as long as possible, and hoping for the best. “You know what, we should put the fireplace to good use. Can you bring the blankets down to the living room while I get the fire started?”

Magnus lets out a whoop of joy at that announcement, “Nice! S’mores time!” he declares joyfully. And Alec has to hide a smile at his adorable outburst even as his heart swells with affection. _I love you_ , he wants to say. He loves Magnus so much and seeing him like this, pure and happy, is both wonderful and painful. 

He’s glad that at least one of them is coping well with this unexpected situation. Though he pointedly does not look at Magnus as he sashays towards the kitchen in search of marshmallows, a new spring in his step.

“Some help please,” Magnus calls out weakly when he returns to the living room fifteen minutes later. Alec glances up from the roaring fire he had managed to start just five minutes ago to see the younger man weighed down with supplies.

“Jesus Magnus, how much did you bring down?” he says as he retrieves what appears to be five blankets from Magnus’ arms. Five. It should be enough to keep them warm.

Alec sets up a makeshift blanket fort while the other man arranges the other items he had brought down with him. There’s a bag of large marshmallows, a bar of Hershey’s chocolate, a packet of graham crackers, and the book they had been reading yesterday.

“You never finished reading it to me last night,” Magnus answers his unasked question, seemingly reading his mind. 

Alec snorts in amusement, as he begins skewering the marshmallows. “Maybe it should be your turn to read to me.”

“Nope, you have a nice voice, I like it, so you should read to me,” Magnus replies nonchalantly, momentarily distracted by Chairman Meow who has found them and is now lying as close to the fireplace as he probably can be without burning himself.

The matter-of-fact way Magnus says it nearly causes Alec to spear himself on the skewer. That settles it. He is not going to survive a flirty Magnus. “Maybe later,” is all he says. He has never been the best at accepting compliments; his face is probably red now.

Magnus doesn’t complain, distracting both of them when his marshmallow catches fire and he yanks it out of the fireplace. Alec’s life flashes before his eyes as he worries that Magnus is about to burn down Bane Mansion in the middle of a sub-freezing winter storm. And wouldn’t that be the fucking ironic cherry on top of a sundae, a fire, in _winter_.

Magnus looks much less worried, bringing the flaming marshmallow dangerously close to his face to blow out the fire, leaving behind a horribly burnt marshmallow. He looks up, notices Alec's judgmental stare and shrugs defensively, “What? They taste better this way.”

“That can’t be true.” Alec rotates his marshmallow ninety degrees to get an even toasting on the outer layer, cooking through to the middle— unlike Magus who has a burnt shell and probably a very gooey middle. “Wait, did you burn it _on purpose?”_

He gets a suspiciously innocent smile in return as Magnus slides his marshmallow onto a graham cracker, pressing a chunk of chocolate on top. 

“Please don’t burn the house down,” Alec pleads, at his wit’s end. He removes his marshmallow— toasted but not burnt— from the fire and carefully assembles his own s’more. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Alec gives Magnus _a look,_ but he can’t say anything because his mouth is occupied with sugary sweet goodness. The conversation falls away, though Alec is going to ensure Magnus uses a safer method of cooking his marshmallows from here on out, as they enjoy their treats. 

Alec finishes his first s’more, reaching for another marshmallow when he’s stilled by Magnus moving and suddenly there’s the brush of a thumb against his lower lip. He goes deathly still, his mind racing into overdrive, heart thrumming beneath his chest— all from one little touch. 

And then, all too soon, Magnus’ thumb is gone, except Alec gets no respite because then Magnus is popping it into his mouth, licking off a smudge of chocolate he must have wiped from Alec’s lip. Alec only stares, wanting nothing more than to lean in and lick the taste of chocolate from Magnus’ mouth. He can’t decide which would be sweeter, the chocolate, or Magnus’ lips.

Magnus leans in, an incremental movement, like he’s read Alec’s thoughts, but it’s enough to jar Alec back into reality. He turns away, grabbing a second marshmallow, hoping the color in his face isn’t obvious in the low fire light. 

He can do this. He can live in the present without losing control of himself and doing something irrevocably stupid— _like kissing the son of the man he works for._

“Did you not have chocolate syrup?” Alec asks, trying to distract himself from his thoughts.

“What?”

Alec shrugs, using his own skewer to knock Magnus’ away when it gets too close to the flame. Both skewers hover comedically above the sleeping Chairman Meow. “For the s’mores.”

“Oh no, Alexander. Tell me you don’t _actually_ use chocolate syrup for S’mores.”

“It’s good,” Alec defends, “my family eats our s’mores with chocolate syrup.”

His comment pulls a groan from Magnus that Alec can’t help but think wouldn’t be out of place in the bedroom and suddenly he’s warm despite the freezing temperatures. 

“I don’t care how good it might be, it’s _sacrilegious_ to not use Hershey’s,” Magnus informs him.

After that, Alec does his best to focus on the present, on keeping Magnus safe, on bickering aimlessly, on making fun of him when he gets a blob of chocolate stuck on his nose, head-locking him when he tries to steal Alec’s s’mores, but his family’s safety nags at the back of his mind still. And Magnus picks up on it soon enough when Alec sneaks a peek at his phone, again.

“Still no news?”

Alec shakes his head regretfully, but musters a wan smile. “Don’t worry, my family is full of tough and strong bodyguards like me, they’ll be fine, once they get their power back and all,” he says. Whether to comfort himself or allay Magnus’ worries, he doesn’t know.

The slight grimace Magnus has on his face informs Alec that he is unsuccessful, but the younger man tactfully drops the topic. “Alright, now that s’mores are done, it’s reading time,” he says, shoving the book into Alec’s hands. “Come on, read to me.”

Alec knows Magnus is trying to distract him from going out of his mind with worry, and allows himself to be thus persuaded. He opens the book, flips to Chapter Seven, where Magnus had fallen asleep, and continues reading.

Today, Magnus is less shameless about it, scooting to tuck himself under Alec’s arms the minute he starts reading, under the pretext of sharing body heat. “You’re a burning furnace, and I’m freezing cold. Diffusion will keep me warm,” as he pertly informs Alec.

Alec can argue that they have more than enough blankets, and a roaring fire, to keep them warm, but the contact is comforting, even if it’s driving him a little bit crazy with want. 

He distracts himself by turning his attention to the book. “ _People were screaming, screaming deafeningly loud, but Charles could only make out Stryker's voice…_ ”

For a while, he loses himself in the story, in the simple flow of the words and Magnus’ soft breathing beside him, the crackle of the fireplace warming something in his soul. For a while he forgets about the shitty weather and shittier politicians and the potential danger his family could be in. For a while, all that exists is this moment with Magnus.

 _“I’m not going anywhere,” Erik assured him, pressing a kiss to his hair before closing his own eyes. He was exhausted himself,”_ Alec reads. It’s a bittersweet feeling when he reaches the end of a well-written book, the sweet ending leaves him craving for more. And bittersweet because he knows that while Charles and Erik found their happy ending, he, he _can’t._

And he _aches._ All through the book, there had been the fleeting touches, an arm pressing close to his, a knee pressed against his thigh. And Alec swears he can feel the heat of Magnus’ arm even through the numerous layers of clothing between them. The nestling of Magnus’ head on his shoulder, a burst of something spicy and warm hitting his nose. It is slightly dulled now, hours past since the last shower, but Alec is familiar enough with the scent, has it ingrained in the back of his mind. And he wants to throw an arm around Magnus’ shoulder, bring him closer. He wants to brush kisses into his hair. He _wants_.

But he _can’t_.

“I don’t understand,” Magnus bursts out suddenly when they finish the book.

Alec frowns slightly. “You don’t understand the ending of the book?” he inquires.

Magnus tilts his body away, and Alec feels the loss of body heat keenly, even under the mound of blankets. “No, I understand that.” Magnus clarifies. “Two men deciding to act on their mutual attraction to each other. What I don’t understand is _why_ you won’t fucking kiss me.”

And Alec’s is certain he has fallen into some sort of parallel universe. A universe where he is somehow _expected_ to kiss Magnus. A universe where Magnus doesn’t just flirt with him out of boredom, but actually wants to kiss him. 

“What? You— I— _kiss you?”_ He prevaricates while trying to get his brain up to speed with the conversation. He has no idea what the fuck is going on. Why would Magnus be asking him such a random question? Has Magnus picked up on his not-so-subtle glances? Does he see Alec as nothing more than a brief distraction from the boredom of being without power? 

“Yes,” Magnus replies, voice coming out tight and strangled, “I have seen the way you look at me— ”

_Right. Alec is so fucking dead right now. Or fired. Possibly both._

“And I—” Before Magnus can say whatever he’s about to say, whatever is surely going to mess up Alec’s job, and possibly his life, Alec’s phone pings with a familiar text tone. _Izzy._

Momentarily distracted, he digs out his phone, his anxiety coming back as his mind races to guess what the text says before his phone is even fully out of his pocket. With shaking fingers, he opens the screen to see a slightly blurry selfie of Izzy with Jace and Max, watching what seems to be one of the Toy Story movies. The worry at the back of his mind starts to subside. At least they are safe. Thank goodness.

Under the picture are the words _Sorry big bro, we didn’t have cell data for a while._

“Is that Isabelle?” Magnus asks slowly, drawing Alec’s attention back to him, Isabelle’s name slightly unfamiliar on his tongue. The chemistry student is peering at Alec’s phone screen.

“Uh, yeah. And my brothers, Jace and Max,” Alec replies. Has he mentioned his siblings to Magnus previously? He honestly can’t remember. But he is touched that the other man can recall these bits of information about him still.

He types out a quick response, telling them he’s okay but out of power and checking in on them, making sure to attach a link to an article titled “Tips For Texans To Stay Warm During Power Outages” before closing his screen.

By the time he puts his phone down, Magnus has drifted away. He isn’t too far, just a few inches between them, but considering their earlier proximity, it’s practically a gulf. He’s staring into the fire morosely, his brows furrowed, lips pulled tight. Not that there is much of a fire left. The room has chilled marginally; the once raging inferno down to a few flickering flames. Chairman has inched closer to Magnus, a distinct lump under the blanket, right beside where Magnus’ legs are.

Alec hastily stuffs his phone into his pocket and throws a few logs into the fireplace, using the stoker to prod it into place. He relaxes fractionally as the newly-added logs catch on fire, burning steadily.

When the silence stretches on, verging on uncomfortable, Alec clears his throat awkwardly. “Magnus?” he says, voice wavering in his hesitation, as if approaching a skittish animal. He has no idea what is going through the other man’s head. How did it go from Magnus demanding a kiss from him, to now sitting far enough from Alec, as if he is a leper.

“I don’t get you, Alec,” Magnus says, staring glumly into the merrily dancing flames. “Sometimes, you are Alexander, who’s one of my best friends, who I think also likes me back because I’ve seen how you look at me. How you protect me. And we just, we get along so well. And sometimes you stay back after your shift, to spend time with me. It gives me hope. Hope that you feel the same way. As me.”

“Magnus—” Alec starts but is silenced by a wave of the other man’s hand.

“Let me, just, let me speak, okay? Please hear me out,” Magnus pleads, a hollow and defeated edge to his voice that Alec hates. And makes him hate himself too, because he put it there, by hurting Magnus. 

“I thought you felt the same as me,” the younger man continues, “but when I drop hints, you suddenly turn into Mr. Lightwood, my father’s bodyguard. You just clam up, and get all skittish around me. And it makes me think I’ve crossed some sort of boundary. But I can feel you staring at me across the room, with an expression I recognize because I have it on my face half the time, and, and I’m confused, Alexander. I don’t understand. Do you, do you like me? Or am I misconstruing everything? I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, Alexander.”

A tear trickles down Magnus’ cheek, the precious droplet rolling down, catching on the corner of his downturned lips before falling onto his coat. 

_I don’t know what’s going on in your mind_. God, if that isn’t the message of the day. Because up till a few minutes ago, Alec was having trouble understanding Magnus’ thoughts as well.

“Magnus,” he breathes out, but before he can continue, he is interrupted again.

“Look, maybe you still see me as that dumb kid who fell for you at first glance. But I’m not, I’m not that kid anymore. I just, I just,” Magnus’ voice cracks, and god if Alec’s heart doesn’t feel like it has just been cleaved open, “I need to know if you like me. I can accept the truth. I just, I can’t take this push and pull. We can still be friends, I don’t mind. I like being your friend. I just, please, Alexander, just tell me. Please…”

Alec craves nothing more than wrapping Magnus up in his arms, kissing away the tears on his face, allaying his fears and concerns by telling him that he loves him. That he has done so for over a year.

But there’s a reason why he hasn’t told Magnus any of this, why he hasn’t done anything. Well, maybe there’s two. The first is that he doesn’t know how Magnus feels about him. The second, is because, he can’t, Alec can’t date the son of his client. Magnus’ confession resolves the first, but it doesn’t change the second. 

He must have stayed silent for too long because the rustling of blankets and the cat skittering away alerts him to Magnus getting to his feet and Alec panics because _he can’t leave, not like this._

“You know what?” Magnus starts, not looking at him. “Can you just spare a bit of my dignity and pretend this never happened? I’m going to go sulk— I mean, sit, in my room.”

“You can’t, your room is too cold.” Alec’s mouth is moving before he’s even formulated an adequate response and he knows right away that he’s said the wrong thing. His assumption is proved right when Magnus gives him a glare that would surely be enough to freeze over Hell in addition to Texas. 

But behind the anger is thinly veiled sadness. Magnus is hurting and it’s Alec’s fault and _he has to fix this._ He can’t stand seeing Magnus hurting _because of him._

“Magnus,” Alec repeats, almost begging. He reaches for the sleeve of Magnus’ coat. “Sit down. Please.”

Magnus tugs his arm away but sits back down, albeit as far from Alec as he can get without sacrificing his share of blankets.

“I’m sorry,” Alec starts. He stares ahead at the fireplace, unwilling to look at Magnus, because he’s afraid. He doesn’t want to see the other man’s face, contorted in pain, confusion, disgust, and god knows what other emotions. Resting his chin on his crossed knees, he begins speaking. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Then why—”

Alec speaks over him because if he doesn’t do it now, he thinks he might never explain. “When I first met you, you were overly flirtatious and cocky. I never took that seriously, I thought you were messing with me. So even though I thought you were attractive, I didn’t _like_ you.” And because Alec can already predict how Magnus will bristle at that, he continues on. “But I wasn’t without my own faults, I was rude to you. I guess we both got off to a rough start.

“I can’t really remember when, or how, we became friends.”

And the thing is Alec isn’t lying, he can’t recall the catalyst that brought them together. It was like a switch that was flicked. One day, Magnus was annoying Alec with his cheesy pick up lines, and Alec wanted to dunk him in Lake Travis. The next, Alec found himself looking forward to work because he would get to see Magnus. 

Maybe it was the backstage bonding they went through. Senator Bane’s speeches were notoriously dry, and Magnus liked making jokes and pointing out mistakes in his father’s speeches. Real time fact-checking, he called it. And Alec really did try to maintain some semblance of professionalism, because he did have a job to do, but he couldn’t help cracking a smile at some of Magnus’ jokes. 

Or the late night conversations when Alec was scheduled to work the night shift. And sometimes Magnus would come downstairs because he couldn’t sleep, and chat with him over a cup of coffee, albeit a decaf one for the younger man. What had started out as stilted conversations, that included Alec actually asking about the bloody weather, had segued into Magnus confiding in Alec about his worries for the future and Alec talking about the parental expectations he was saddled with.

And _that_ had shifted into Alec voluntarily hanging about the mansion after his shift to chat with Magnus, wanting to see Magnus, telling him jokes just to watch him light up with laughter, wanting to hug him, kiss him. And just, wanting to _be_ with Magnus.

“Nor can I recall when I started falling in love with you.”

Magnus doesn’t say anything and Alec doesn’t know if he was expecting him to. But when he sneaks a glance at the younger man, he finds Magnus sitting stock-still, wide eyes focused on Alec.

“Because I _am_ in love with you.” And it feels so good to _say it._ He thinks it daily, but this is the first time he’s said it out loud. And even though he’s all but certain nothing can come of this, he needs Magnus to know it. To know that he isn’t the only one mired in confusion and hopelessness, in the struggle of his own feelings.

“Alexander,” Magnus breathes, his voice soft with wonder and awe. He sounds so _hopeful._

But Alec isn’t done yet. He doesn’t look away from the flames, feels the self-loathing burning within him, the despair licking at his guts.

And Alec hates this, he hates to be the one to snuff out Magnus’ hopes. It guts him to have to remind Magnus of their predicament. Because much as he wants to sweep Magnus in his arms, he _can’t_. 

“But,” he says, “but I never did anything about it. I never told you a thing. I’d understand if you think I’m a coward, but I couldn’t say anything. You’re the _son_ of Senator Bane.”

“What does my father have to do with this?” Magnus demands heatedly, eyes blazing with determination. “I’m _nothing_ like him.”

“No, no, I know. It’s just, I’m his bodyguard. I can’t date the son of my client. That is unethical and frowned upon in my field. Magnus, I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.” Alec scrubs at his sleeves, frustrated and helpless. And miserable. He honestly doesn’t know if the knowledge that his love is requited makes it better or worse honestly.

“Alexander, no, what are you sorry for? I’ll talk to my father about this, he probably won’t give a shit—” 

“Magnus, I can’t,” Alec admits, “I don’t want you fighting with your father about this.” _Over me_. The both of them have an acrimonious relationship as it is. Alec doesn’t want it to worsen.

Magnus is silent for a moment, mulling over Alec’s words before he speaks up, surprisingly calm. “Alexander, is that the only thing holding you back from being in a relationship with me?”

“Uh. Yes?” It is, he knows that with a certainty, but he doesn’t understand why Magnus is asking.

“Because I will go to bat for you, Alexander, I want to be with you, and I don’t give a flying fuck what that old fart says. You are worth it. I know you might have your hangups about dating a client’s son. Tell me, Alexander, tell me that is something we can work through together. Please. Just, please, give _us_ a shot,” Magnus implores, casting beseeching eyes towards Alec. 

“Magnus…” Alec can feel his resolve caving. It had been an easier burden to bear when he’d thought it to be a one-sided love. And now, knowing that Magnus really does like him… can they really make this work? Will being together make things better? Can he deny them both when he knows _Magnus feels the same about him?_

Like a predator swooping in on its prey, Magnus delivers the final punch. Reaching out with a mittened hand to cup Alec’s face, he murmurs, softly “Alexander, I love you.”

And Alec decides, fuck it. He’s tired of resisting this, not when Magnus reciprocates his love. Not when Magnus is in front of him, looking at him, thumb sweeping across his cheek gently. Like Alec is precious. Precious, and loved. 

He’s been in love with Magnus for ages, and now, he wants to shower Magnus with that love. He wants to return the cheesy pick up lines, he wants to see Magnus blush when he compliments him, he wants to hug Magnus just because he can, he wants to kiss Magnus. And then, he realizes, he can. He _should_.

He can start searching for new clients, but there’s only one Magnus Bane that he’s absolutely gone for. And with that, Alec leans forward, closing the gap between them, pressing his lips against Magnus, a soft chaste peck, a brush of lips.

And when Magnus reaches out with his other hand to cradle Alec’s face, pushing himself closer, all thoughts flee Alec’s mind. Because all he can focus on is how Magnus fits in his arms, the soft moans the younger man makes at the back of his throat. Alec feels his heart settle, thumping lazily in his chest cavity, the burden weighing down on it finally lifted. There’s a voice at the back of his mind, briefly wondering what he will do now, does he find a new client? And when Magnus tilts his head, slotting their lips, deepening the kiss, the voice falls silent. It can wait; Alec has a kiss to savor.

Their first kiss isn’t the passionate affair that movies prophesied about. There aren’t the shouted declarations of love, no grand romantic gestures. No explosive burst of fireworks behind his eyelids. 

Only a confession, both men baring their souls to each other, putting themselves on the line. But it isn’t a gamble, not really, because they know the other will catch them when they fall.The trust that they have in each other culminates in this moment, in this kiss. 

The kiss feels like the final puzzle piece sliding into place, completing the picture. It doesn’t eradicate the pieces comprised of pain, hurt, confusion, and sadness, but it makes them _worthwhile_. Both men coming together, tired of fighting against their own feelings, and choosing to embrace them instead.

The kiss is gentle and tender. It’s _perfect._

Magnus’ fingers glide along his jawline, his mittens now abandoned in his desire for more skin contact, the warmth of his hands sending a rush of heat surging through Alec. And it hits Alec then, that he too can _touch_. His hands catch on quickly, cupping Magnus’ cheeks, trailing across his cheekbone, the prickle of day-old stubble stinging his fingertips. Only for the other man to jerk away from Alec suddenly.

“Wha — Magnus?” Alec gazes at Magnus, eyes sweeping across his face, alarmed at what could have caused him to break their kiss. 

“Cold fingers,” Magnus whines, his own hands coming up to rub his cheeks, warming them up. And Alec can’t help but burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of the whole situation, fondness welling him in him.

“Sorry,” he apologizes, in between fits of laughter, “I forgot that my hands were cold.” 

Leaning down, he stills Magnus’ hands and kisses each of his cheeks, delighting in the blush that steals across the younger man’s tan skin, the skin turning pink as the smile on his face widens. “There, all better now,” Alec jests as he reaches for Magnus’ discarded mittens, tugging them onto the other man’s hands to keep them warm.

The soft smile he gets in return is worth everything.

Conversing by the fire slowly turns into cuddling beneath the mound of blankets Magnus had brought in as the cold settles into their bones. There are soft, hesitant touches, Magnus’ head against his shoulder, Alec’s arm around Magnus’ waist, hand slipped under Magnus’ many layers, thumb tracing his hip bone, as they talk about plans for a date, when this whole _weather_ blows over. A date. God, Alec can’t wait.

The mesmerizing sight of the dancing flames before his eyes, the comfortable weight of Magnus tucked into his side, and the warmth of the fire are close to lulling him to sleep when suddenly the ceiling light flickers on and the low hum of the heater starting up reaches their ears. Magnus straightens up with a gasp. “It’s back! The electricity!”

Alec is tempted to stay there, warm and comfy, and rest, maybe a little warmer now that the heat is on, but his sense of responsibility forces him up. He nudges Magnus. “You should go take a shower.”

“Or, we could save time and water by showering _together_ ,” Magnus answers as he gets to his feet, raising his eyebrows pointedly at Alec. 

It’s an appealing offer, the idea of Magnus naked and warm, water droplets tracing his skin— Alec following their paths with his tongue. The heat that floods his body has nothing to do with the power coming back on.

He shakes his head, focusing on putting out the fire. “Who knows how long the electricity will be back on for.” He glances back at Magnus, who is pouting at him, and continues lowly, “I want to take my time with you, it won’t be quick when we do it, trust me.” 

Alec smirks when a gasp of surprise escapes Magnus’ parted lips. “Now go,” he orders, “I will go check on the other parts of the house and use the shower in the guest bathroom.” 

“Fine, but we’re going to shower together one day— soon,” Magnus says with conviction, closing the distance between them and placing a hand at the back of Alec’s neck to tug him down for a quick, heated kiss. 

Alec indulges for a moment, enjoying the slick slide of lips, the touch of Magnus’ tongue against his, before he backs away. “Go, shower.”

“Yes, sir.” Magnus’ tone is joking but his words send another frisson of excitement down Alec’s spine. They will definitely have to explore _that_ more later.

He shoos Magnus away and then goes to check on the house before taking his own, quick shower. Part of him is just waiting for the power to go off again, perhaps mid-way through his shower and drench him in suddenly cold water. But it stays on thankfully. 

When he goes back to the living room, he finds Magnus on the sofa behind their make-shift blanket fort. He’s changed out of his many layers, down to just a pair of pajama pants and a sweater, soft hair still falling over his forehead. His cat is curled up next to him, legs splayed out in an awkward sleeping position.

Magnus looks _adorable_ and Alec suddenly wants to curve his body around Magnus’ and cuddle until the storm passes. 

Magnus glances up, eyes drifting from the screen of the computer on his lap, to catch Alec staring at him. He smirks and Alec ducks his head sheepishly. But his embarrassment evaporates when Magnus merely smiles at home and beckons him forward. “Come look at this!”

Alec moves instantly, gravitating closer to Magnus to join him on the couch, on the opposite side as Chairman Meow. He presses his side against Magnus’ and peers at the screen.

He’s on Twitter, scrolling through a trending hashtag, “TheBaneOftexas”. A quick glance is enough to realize that someone had snapped a few pictures of Senator Bane at the Austin airport, as well as on the plane. There’s even one taken in Mexico. And people are unhappy, to say the least, calling for his resignation and accusing him of fleeing when his state needed him. It’s not unfair, Alec thinks. 

“They hate him,” Magnus says with barely disguised glee in his voice.

Alec snorts, trying to hide his own smile. It’s really not professional to be amused when your employer ruins their reputation, _but it’s so deserved._ “Are you really just sitting here scrolling through tweets about your father?”

“I got my computer out so I could start a fundraiser on GoFundMe, but when I got on Twitter to share it, I got a little distracted by my surname trending in the hashtags. Can you blame me?”

“Did you share the link?” Alec asks, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ cheek. 

Magnus hums an affirmation. “I did. And then I retweeted a few of these.”

As they browse through the hashtag, there are some tweets that make Alec bristle with indignation, with the tweeter criticizing both Magnus and his father. And Magnus lays a hand on his chest, the gentle pats calming him down slightly. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen,” Magnus soothes, and promptly tries to distract Alec by clicking on an article with the headline _Asmodeus Bane Abandons Millions of Freezing Texans and His Son, Magnus_. The first picture is of a crestfallen Magnus.

He can’t help but snort at that image, because the story behind that picture isn’t as tragic as the papers have interpreted them to be. It had been taken backstage at an event where Senator Bane was giving a speech as a guest of honor. Whoever had thought inviting the Senator to speak to university students was out of their bloody minds, Alec privately thought. But what did he know, he was just a bodyguard and had orders to follow. Magnus however, had tagged along, for what he succinctly put as “for the laughs.” 

At the start of the speech, the both of them had made a bet on how many times the Senator would praise President Valentine, like the sycophant that he was. Alec having the unfortunate advantage of attending a significantly higher number of the Senator’s speeches had been the closest with a whooping fifteen times. Magnus had been wildly off the mark with his guess of seven. That picture had been snapped right when Senator Bane had lauded President Valentine for making America great again, the fifteenth bootlicking compliment that very night, and Magnus had pouted over losing the bet.

And the papers have evidently decided to run with this photo of Magnus today. He isn’t a fan of making the news, much less when they print what he deems to be uncomplimentary photos of him. Alec privately disagrees, because he thinks Magnus always looks pretty. But Izzy tells him he is just a lovesick idiot, who is heavily biased. 

It is easy for Alec to lose himself in the moment, sitting beside Magnus, changed out of his suit, into comfortable sweatpants and a shirt, chortling at some of the tweets insulting Senator Bane. 

But when new pictures of Senator Bane arriving back at the Austin airport surface, he’s reminded that this moment might be ending. The bubble the both of them had been ensconced in might burst any moment now. He is confident that whatever had transpired between him and Magnus isn’t some flight of fancy; they’ve both laid down the truth, and are determined to make the relationship work. 

But, what now? Does Alec quit his post? If he does, what will he tell his parents? With Magnus graduating from college this year, what happens then? Will he stay in Austin, or move somewhere else? If he moves, should Alec follow? If he can find a job elsewhere, then he can follow his boyfrie— wait, is Magnus even his boyfriend? Are they boyfriends? They are going on a date, but— 

“Alexander?” Magnus’ hesitant voice pipes up from beside him, “you’re sort of squeezing my shoulder?”

“Oh my god, Magnus, I’m sorry,” Alec hastily pulls back his hand from where it had been thrown around the other man’s shoulder. “Are... are you okay? I didn’t mean— ” 

Setting the laptop down, the younger man tilts to make eye contact with Alec, his hands drawing Alec’s hands into his own, rubbing circles onto the back slightly trembling hands. “Alexander,” Magnus begins, “I’m okay. But something is on your mind. Are you, are you having second th—” 

“No, Magnus, no,” Alec interjects. God no. Alec is most definitely _not_ having second thoughts about it. He’d be an absolute idiot. No, there is no way he is letting Magnus go. “I, just, I, where do we go from here?” He looks up at Magnus helplessly, because out of the mansion, out in the real world, _how_ can they make this work?

As Alec gazes down at Magnus, seeing the same helplessness reflected in his brown eyes, he feels the panic starting to well up in him. “Alexander, I can’t promise you that it is going to be a walk in the park, but we will make this work.”

“When I get a new client, and have to work odd hours, and you go back to school, I won’t be able to see you as often.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Magnus replies, patiently, “we can call, FaceTime, text, and I don’t mind going on dates at weird hours. I’m a student, I practically _live_ on odd hours. And before you start worrying about my father, don’t. Okay? My father’s an ass, but I can handle him. And nothing he says, nothing he does, will keep me from wanting to date you.”

The tension in Alec eases slightly, hearing the conviction in Magnus’ voice. Their budding relationship isn’t one borne out of necessity, things will change, perhaps more so in their case than for other couples. But Magnus’ commitment gives him hope. And the resolve to commit to making things work. 

“Okay, Alexander?” A question, and a plea.

“Okay.”

Magnus’ face softens as he visibly sags in relief. 

“I’m sorry for panicking,” Alec murmurs as he leans forward to embrace Magnus. _I love you_ , the words come to him again, spilling over as, “I less than three you.”

“You love me huh?” Magnus clarifies, picking up on the reference to their long-time inside joke about text speech.

“Very much. Thank you for calming me down,” Alec says. 

“That’s what boyfriends do. I’ve got you, Alexander. We will be fine.”

The sound of a wooden door being thrown open informs them of the return of Senator Bane. A rather furious Senator Bane, judging by the ruckus of things being thrown about in the foyer. 

Chairman Meow hops up and runs in the direction of Magnus’ room, away from the noises. Alec thinks the cat has the right idea.

“We should go greet your father,” Alec says, the reluctance clear in his voice. Because he’d rather remain in Magnus’ arms. But waiting will only make the upcoming conversation that much worse.

There’s a soft sigh before Magnus leans back. “Yeah, we should.”

Alec finally untangles himself from Magnus’ arms, but not before kissing him softly. One kiss, for reassurance, for strength, and because he can. They get to their feet slowly, wanting to savor this last moment of peace. 

Alec’s nerves settle when he glances to his side and sees Magnus smiling at him, a soft smile that crinkles his eyes. He reaches down to interlace their fingers and gives it a quick squeeze. _It will be fine_.

As the smile on Magnus’ face widens, Alec knows, _it will all be fine_.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> The story they read is the X-Men fic "[A Place To Fall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6589885).
> 
> Thank you for reading, we less than three all of you <3


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